A PLUCKY two-year-old has been dubbed 'Amazing Amy' by medics after conquering a series of life-threatening illnesses.

Amy Lambert was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia two weeks before her second birthday last December.

The Worcester toddler, who is undergoing chemotherapy, has amazed intensive care staff at Birmingham's Diana, Princess of Wales Children's Hospital.

She has spent the past eight weeks there after contracting a severe blood infection on top of the cancer.

"She's smiling and poking her tongue out and waving at us," said her dad Darren, aged 29. "She's genuinely quite a happy girl."

Amy, who has two half-sisters and two half-brothers, developed a type of pneumonia in both her lungs, making it impossible for her to breathe on her own.

Her body then swelled to three times its normal size because of a hole in her windpipe and chest.

Despite draining her body, medical staff were unable to stabilise her breathing on the ventilator and fought to resuscitate her.

"We were worried we were going to lose her," said her 25-year-old mum, Laura. "So we decided to have Amy christened on Thursday, January 31."

Her parents often sleep at the hospital to give them more time with their daughter.

Darren, who has given up his job as an HGV driver as well, said that hospital staff were set to take her off the ventilator this weekend.

"The doctors and nurses explain what's going on with Amy, and that makes it a lot easier for us," he said.

"We know she still has a long way to go in her treatment for leukaemia. But we're so grateful that she has come through this particularly difficult time.

"All the staff are really supportive and Amy really likes them too.

"We want to thank everyone on the intensive care unit for their fantastic care, particularly Fiona Reynolds and Heather Smee."

The hospital's specialist registrar in anaesthetics, Dr Fiona Reynolds, said she was "amazed" at how well Amy had done.

"She has been critically ill, but she's a brave little girl," she said.